15 of my favorite 100% gluten free bakeries around the world
I’ve never been a true foodie; give me a good spot with a classic meal and I could eat there every day. That is unless it’s a bakery. There are no limits to how far I will go for a great cinnamon roll, an iconic looking muffin, even just a delicious bread is enough for me to start looking at flights. I once joked that I flew around the world one bakery at a time so when I discovered that I had celiac and would have to go gluten free practically overnight, I was obviously dreading giving up my first true love: bakeries.
Instead, I’ve secretly centered years of travels around finding the best gluten free bakeries I can. That cinnamon roll? Took a 15 hour ferry to Oslo to get an incredible gluten free one. The muffin? Sounds like a great reason to visit family in San Francisco. And that’s just the start. All told, I’ve visited dozens of fully gluten free bakeries across the world looking for my next favorite snack.
So now that you know just how seriously I take my gluten free treats, let’s talk about what has been my favorite so far.
Happy Atelier (Stockholm, Sweden)
I told myself I wouldn’t rank places on this list but it was impossible not to start here. Located just 10 or so minutes from the city center by subway or bus, Happy Atelier is a small cafe that was so good, so friendly, so varied that I visited it every day of my trip to Stockholm and have debated going back again in just a few months since then, for real. Their primary offering is treats and bread though they also have some simple sandwiches.
What I’d suggest: The first snack I had was the Kanelbulle (Swedish take on a simple cinnamon roll) and that is delicious for a great, coffee & pastry snack but if you’re up for something sweeter and a longer break, their Semla is something else altogether.
Glutenfrihuset Tøyen (Oslo, Norway)
At the start of this post, I said I’ve traveled just for a bakery and with Glutenfrihuset Tøyen, that’s almost true. After planning a stop in Copenhagen (covered next), I was looking for where to go next and when I spotted this bakery, Oslo suddenly became a high priority on my list. Glutenfrihuset Tøyen is located about 15 minutes from the city center and totally worth the trip as one of Oslo’s few dedicated spots. Their roots seem to be typical bakery/cafe but they do serve burgers and chicken strips as well now.
What I’d suggest: The cinnamon rolls are unreal. I’ve just had “basic” powdered sugar ones in both classic and pistachio flavors but even then, both were wonderful, dense, chewy, the kind of roll you just pull apart while taking a walk through the city.
H.U.G. Bageri (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Nordic cities do not disappoint and Copenhagen is no exception with a couple GF bakeries to pick from even if most of the rest of the food options are shared spots. Of the options, H.U.G. Bageri was my hands down favorite, a small and super popular cafe located about 15 minutes from the city center and just off an easy bus route. The spot is crammed full of breads and treats. As far as I can tell, the menu changes day to day with weekends getting some of the more elaborate options but with 3 visits in 3 days, there’s nothing bad here.
What I’d suggest: Once again, the cinnamon rolls win though theirs are far more fork and knife, thick slice style than some of the others. For a savory option, you can get one of their rolls with cheese and butter, a common Danish breakfast.
Mariposa Baking Company (San Francisco & Oakland, California)
As a Bay Area native, my family all knows that when I am in town, I’m going to suggest a visit to Mariposa but then again, it’s rare to see talk of GF bakeries and not see people suggest Mariposa no matter where in the world they are from. The main bakery in Oakland is a full on production plant that supports their local locations and mail order (so yes, you can get their stuff even if far away) while their SF location, located in the Ferry Building, is a small but capable outlet. Both locations serve up an amazing range of pastries plus lots of bulk packaged items, frozen to reheat items, and some sandwiches and salads.
What I’d suggest: I like to take the ferry into the city, walk next door, grab a turkey sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie and enjoy it on the back patio of the Ferry Building (or inside at the public seating on a foggy day). For a morning start, the bear claw is great too, or whatever pastry you’ve been missing, they do almost everything.
Pushkin’s (Sacramento & Roseville, California)
Heading from San Francisco to the mountains I’ve found that my car always seems to need gas right as I get into Sacramento, strange and total coincidence that Pushkin’s just happens to be right there, right? But in all seriousness, Pushkin’s is my go to spot in the Sacramento area whether staying or passing by. They have a couple locations with slightly different menus day by day but always offer a mix of pastries, sandwiches, salads and some plates making it an ideal sit down and takeaway spot on a longer trip.
What I’d suggest: For sweet treats, the Crinkle cookies are fantastic with a great chewy texture while the Banana bread is perfect for a heartier snack. For an actual meal, the New Yorker feels like a proper deli sandwich while the Turkey Bacon is a classic I can rarely convince myself to pass on (to try something else).
New Food (Rome, Italy)
No gluten free bakery list would be complete without New Food and I’m absolutely in agreement with that consensus. Though they have a few locations now, New Food’s classic spot is an unassuming, mainly window counter cafe that gets a line for great reason. Their selection of sweet and savory snacks offers plenty of range, or light walk and stop meals to balance out those bigger Rome sit down eats.
What I’d suggest: Hands down go with the maritozzi. Sure, it’s a trendy, everyone has to photograph it item right now but the cream filled bread is to die for and seeing them in every window around town, you’re going to want one sooner or later so have it sooner, and here.
Glu Free (Milan, Italy)
While New Food is great, my favorite pick in Italy has to be Glu Free, a decent sized bakery 15 or 20 minutes transit ride from the city center but in a nice district of Milan by several sights. Like New Food, their menu is more small bites but they have a great range from personal pizzas to filled croissants and more. It’s near impossible to make a decision here but prices are reasonable enough to just get two, one for inside where they have seating, and one for later, as in when you walk out the door 5 minutes later.
What I’d suggest: The croissants. Go with the chocolate or pistachio filled one and live like you’re at a traditional bakery having a year’s worth of sugar again.
Leopoldo (Naples, Italy)
Sometimes I think Italy can’t really be that much better than everyone else but then I start writing a post like this and yup. While Naples has few fully GF spots, one doesn’t need many in Italy anyways and thankfully of the couple they do have, one is a bakery, and a great one. Leopoldo is a chain with many “normal” locations but their fully GF one is a different beast and was always busy for the wide assortment of fancier pastries, croissants, focaccia style breads, sandwiches, plus coffee and even gelato.
What I’d suggest: Their savory items are perfect if you’re heading on a day trip and need a snack but the croissants are among my favorites I’ve had anywhere, even if still a bit different from the real thing.
Gluten Free Gem (Portland, OR)
Living in Portland, I could make half this post be about our bakeries and I think that would be a fair call, but I didn’t want to be that biased so I spent way too long debating which of the 5 that I frequent to include here and Gluten Free Gem just keeps on winning. Gem operates a small cafe selling treats and some breakfast/lunch options including items from other Portland area GF bakeries. Their products are also sold in New Seasons supermarkets and even at the Portland airport.
What I’d suggest: Their muffins are fantastic, especially the blueberry. While it’s not theirs, I also love getting a bagel (those are from New Cascadia and run a bit cheaper than Modern Bread & Bagel) with cream cheese when I stop in.
Füge & Mangó by Tündér Manna (Budapest, Hungary)
Hungary simply blew my mind with the number of dedicated GF restaurants you can find around the city and while they do offer a nice range of cuisine, half must be bakeries making it very hard to pick a favorite. But as I have to pick, Füge & Mangó takes the cake, or in their case, chimney cake. They also offer a decent range of other pastries, as well as some sandwiches and even pancakes on the weekend.
What I’d suggest: The chimney cake of course. Their GF take on this local treat is simply divine: chewy, wonderfully flavored all without being too sweet.
Better Bread LAB (Riga, Latvia)
Scouting out Riga, I knew there was a small chain of GF bakeries around the town that I was planning to rely on for a few of my weekend meals but I had no idea how much I would come to visit (and like) Better Bread. While their main locations are “just” pastry shops with their delicious treats, their Better Bread LAB spinoff on Pulkveža Brieža iela is a larger cafe that offers a variety of breakfast/brunch and lunch eats as well as some takeaway sandwiches, plus of course treats. They’re a bit outside the old town / tourist center but an easy visit with the tram.
What I’d suggest: For a sweet treat, the cream and caramel topped roll was perfect. For a savory option and a bigger bite, their breakfast plate is a perfect balance of carbs, protein and yum and cheap too, though you can upgrade to add more sides.
Modern Bread & Bagel (New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA)
As a full on bagel addict, I’ve been to Modern Bread & Bagel so many times I’ve had cashiers in New York remember me more than once, and I live 2,500 miles away from that location. Their speciality is of course all things bagels but they are most certainly not limited to just that, with a range of sandwiches, salads, and over the top treats. Locations are spread out over New York City with a bit of expansion into New Jersey and Los Angeles.
What I’d suggest: A sesame bagel with cream cheese and lox, toasted is a must have experience. For treats, their gingerbread babka (seasonal) remains my favorite though it’s a fair departure from traditional babka.
Posh Pop (New York, NY)
NY is full of way too many spots to just pick one, and so I’m not going to. If Modern is my bagel winner, Posh Pop is the insane American bakery champ with absolute monster sized treats from cakes to cookies to just about everything else. They have a few locations around the city and stay open rather late making it a great post dinner or even (near) midnight snack if you’re out playing tourist late and need enough sugar to stay awake all month.
What I’d suggest: Their cake sized cookies are just wild and great with a range of flavors (different candies) but you really can’t go wrong here.
Kyra’s (Portland, OR)
Effectively also in the Portland, OR region, Kyra’s is just far enough away from the city center that it took me way too long to get here but far less time to get back (true story, in writing this post, it inspired me to go back before I finished things up). A four time Cupcake Wars winner (and as a GF bakery obviously!), Kyra’s is the kind of spot you would never believe is all GF but they are and they are worth it with a whole assortment of pastries but also cupcakes and cakes for those special events.
What I’d suggest: Cupcakes are obviously the claim to fame but their muffins are something else too and the only place where I’ve had a truly traditional, oversized, crispy top, soft “guts” muffin since going GF.
Vida Baking (Ashland, OR)
My final suggestion for the post, Vida Baking isn’t in the giant cities like the others and so it’s not on many lists I see but if you’re doing an Oregon road trip, I just love this place. A small cafe near the heart of Ashland, Vida is all about pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) but goes beyond with a tasty though not huge assortment of pastries, as well as some light meals, even waffles.
What I’d suggest: For a snack, try the Pão de Queijo. For breakfast, absolutely go with a waffle. They’re freshly made and topped with all sorts of fruit and so much syrup (seriously, get it on the side), it’s the perfect breakfast before walking through downtown or heading off on a local hike.
A pain to get to but delicious when you get there
And there you have it, 15 bakeries that I love though there are so many more I could add that I’ve been to and that I’ve got on my list to get to (hello Craft in Amsterdam, you’re coming soon!). It may not be as easy to get a treat as walking into the corner spot these days but it is nice knowing there’s so much out there, if you have the chance to get to it.
Tried one of these bakeries or have you been to another you loved? Be sure to leave a comment to share it with everyone else reading… and so I know where to go next.
